SmashWiki:Username policy

This page documents an official SmashWiki policy, a widely accepted standard that all users should follow. When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflects consensus. If in doubt, consider discussing changes on the talk page.

On SmashWiki, upon creating an account, a user must select a handle to be known by and for the wiki to track their edits by, known as a username. Users are allowed to use almost any username they desire, however there are some restrictions on what their username can be, as is covered below.

What is considered an inappropriate username

The following types of usernames are considered inappropriate and will not be allowed:

• Vulgar, derogatory, or any other type of offensive username. Such names are disallowed for obvious reasons; allowing such names reflects poorly on the wiki, it makes it difficult to take a user with such a name seriously, and one's username should never have the capacity to be offensive to another user, intentional or not.
  • Examples of such usernames would be "Shitnipple", "Tourneyfag < OMG THATZ ME!!! :O", "[ControversialTopic]Hater", and "[UserX] is a dumbass".

• Usernames that consist of gibberish or are otherwise incomprehensible. Such names are disallowed, as they make it very difficult to recognize and refer to the user, if not outright impossible.
  • Examples of such usernames would be "qmcq398cm3489thqm394", ".....", "?!#@&*!(#@?", and " ".

• Usernames that consist of non-English characters. We are an English-speaking wiki, so most, if not all, users would have difficulty recognizing and referring to such usernames, and would likely not be able to understand what the username means. Additionally, the vast majority of users would not have the means to type the name out, making it needlessly difficult for them to refer to a user using such a username.
  • Examples of such usernames would be "水", "لم أجد هذا", and "Bob ⠍⠕⠝⠑⠽".

• Usernames that are excessively long. Excessively long usernames can create difficulty in recognizing and referring to the user, create complications with the titles of their userpages and their signature, and cause pages such as histories and Special:RecentChanges to have unnecessary long lines and/or line breaks. If you're trying to create such a long name, consider what part of the name is unnecessary or can be cut out, and go without such in your name.
  • Examples of such usernames would be "The Greatest Strongest Best Most Competent Smasher In The Universe" and "Bobthemoneythefreshestthehandsomest".

• Usernames that are very similar, if not identical, to the username of an existing active user, or of a now inactive but significant user. Having such a username can create confusion among some users, as it makes it difficult to immediately discern similarly-named users from each other, and it makes it needlessly more difficult to refer to such a user individually. This is problematic on a wiki, where users must collaborate together, and thus immediate recognition and ease of referring are of vital importance. The wiki is not so large that coming up with a unique name that you like is difficult.
  • Examples of such usernames would be "The Omega Tyrant", "To0MaI", and "Reaper of Havoc". Note that adding numbers, xX, extra symbols, and similar minor changes to an existing username will not make it considered unique enough to be acceptable.
  • Exception: If there was an existing user with a username very similar to the name you want, but that user is now inactive and did barely anything (thus they have no real mark on the Wiki), it could then be acceptable to use a username very similar to theirs. These will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but it will still be simpler to simply pick a different name.
  • Similarly, if a user has had a significant name change and few if any notable contributions under that name, it may be acceptable to use a username similar to their previous one. Again, this will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Dealing with inappropriate usernames

The following is how admins should deal with a newly created account with a username that violates any of the above:

• If the user has an offensive, incomprehensible, or excessively long name, give them an indefinite block, while making sure to keep their ability to edit their talk page open. If their name consists of non-English characters or is very similar to another user, do not block them immediately.
• Explain on their talk page how their username is inappropriate, while linking to this policy, and explaining that they can select a new username, where (if applicable) their block will then be immediately lifted upon doing so. Additionally if possible, send them an email pointing out to them to check their talk page.
• Once the user chooses a new name, report it to an active bureaucrat (if you're not a bureaucrat yourself), who will then change the user's username to the newly chosen name, and lift the user's block.
• Good faith should be assumed when dealing with such users, and they should not be immediately assumed to be a vandal, troll, or impersonator. However, check user should be used on such a user to assure they're not a known vandal or another user attempting to impersonate. If the user is a known vandal or any other user, standard procedure for dealing with malicious sockpuppets applies.
• If the user refuses to comply and will not select a new username, they must be kept blocked (or if they weren't blocked before, then be blocked indefinitely) until they decide to do so.
• If the user creates a new account with a different, acceptable username, and they behave as a constructive user, allow the new account to function as normal, while keeping the old account with the inappropriate name permanently blocked. Optionally, the two accounts may be merged under the acceptable name.